2. A Board to be known in English as the Ontario Social
Assistance Rates Board and in French as Commission ontarienne des taux d'aide
sociale is hereby established.

Composition
of Board

Appointment

3. (1) The
Board shall be composed of at least six and not more than nine members appointed
by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Qualifications

(2) The members shall be persons who have, in the opinion
of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, expertise in poverty research and
current research regarding the costs of living in Ontario communities.

Same

(3) In addition to the qualifications set out in subsection
(2),

(a) at
least two of the members shall be persons who have, in the opinion of the
Lieutenant Governor in Council, expertise regarding the costs of living for
disabled persons in Ontario communities; and

(b) at
least two of the members shall be persons who have received social assistance
at some time within the 10-year period before being appointed or are receiving
social assistance at the time of their appointment.

Term

(4) A member shall be appointed for a term of two, three
or five years.

Chair
and vice-chair

(5) The Lieutenant Governor in Council shall designate one
of the members as chair and may designate one or more other members as
vice-chair.

Remuneration
and expenses

4. The members of the Board who are not members of the public
service of Ontario may be paid the remuneration fixed by the Lieutenant
Governor in Council and the reasonable expenses incurred in the course of their
duties under this Act.

Powers
of Board

5. (1) Except
as limited by this Act, the Board has all the powers that are necessary or expedient
for carrying out its duties under this Act.

Experts

(2) The Board may retain experts as it considers necessary
from time to time.

Annual
report

6. (1) The
Board shall provide an annual report in accordance with this Act to the
Minister on or before December 31 in every year.

Duties

(2) The Board shall perform the duties that are assigned
to it by or under this Act.

Meetings

(3) The Board shall meet at least six times annually for
the purpose of preparing the annual report.

Additional
reports

(4) In addition to the report described in subsection (1),
the Board shall provide additional reports and information about adequate
standards of living to the Minister on request.

Contents
of annual report

Regions

7. (1) The
annual report shall include a list of defined regions identified by the Board
on the basis of different costs of living in different parts of the Province.

Regional
rates

(2) The annual report shall include recommended social
assistance rates and processes for providing social assistance for each region
identified under subsection (1), including consideration of,

(a) monthly
basic needs rates at a set amount that will enable benefit units to obtain,

(v) items
and services relating to the educational and recreational needs of any
children,

(vi) any
necessary modifications to a rental unit in order to accommodate any
disability,

(vii) additional
expenses that may be incurred by persons with disabilities in order for them to
participate fully in society, including expenses relating to education, over
the counter medical goods, entertainment and clothing, and

(viii) other
basic goods and services to fulfil needs specified by the Board as basic;

(b) maximum
monthly shelter allowance rates, including reference to,

(i) Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation research on local rents,

(ii) any
other research that the Board considers relevant regarding local rents and
shelter expenses, including utilities, heating costs, furnace or hot water tank
rentals, property taxes and fire insurance, and

(c) the
level of benefits to be provided to benefit units under the Ontario Works Act, 1997;

(d) the
level of benefits to be provided to benefit units under the Ontario Disability Support Program Act, 1997;

(e) other
statutory benefits that are actually received by benefit units, including the Ontario Child Benefit;

(f) the fact that many
recipients of social assistance under the Ontario Works
Act, 1997are, for extended periods of time, unable to supplement
their income through employment; and

(g) the
fact that many recipients of social assistance under the Ontario
Disability Support Program Act, 1997are, due to the long-term
nature of many disabilities, unable to supplement their income through
employment.

Same

(3) The Board shall consider the rates set under the Ontario Works Act, 1997 and the Ontario
Disability Support Program Act, 1997 and may recommend changes to those rates.

Variation
in rates

(4) The regional rates recommended in subsection (2) shall
be uniform within each region but may differ between regions.

Minister's
report

8. (1) On or before March 31 in every year, the
Minister shall publish a report responding to the Board's recommendations in
the annual report and shall set out a timeline for dealing with the
recommendations.

Tabling

(2) The
Minister shall submit any reports received from the Board to the Lieutenant
Governor in Council and shall then lay them before the Assembly if it is in
session or, if not, at the next session.

Annual
report made public

(3) The
Minister shall make the annual report available to the public within 90 days of
receiving the report.

Commencement

9. (1) Subject
to subsection (2), this Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal
Assent.

(2) Sections 1 to 8 come into force six months after the
day this Act receives Royal Assent.

Short
title

10. The
short title of this Act is the Ontario Social Assistance
Rates Act, 2007.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The
Bill establishes the Ontario Social Assistance Rates Board, which has the
function of providing specific recommendations annually regarding social
assistance rates under the Ontario Works Act, 1997and the Ontario Disability Support Program Act, 1997.